Considering a vacation to England? Do it! England is a great place to visit, historically and culturally. Since we speak the same language (mostly) it is easy to plan excursions, get around, and overall enjoy your stay.
Believe me when I say that I am no expert on England. I've spent about 7 months out of the last 2 years here. I've seen a decent amount of the central and southern areas of the country, but have yet to experience the north. However, I know enough to be able to give some advice.
Now, these tips and traps are aimed at someone who is planning on visiting England for vacation. The definition of vacation is "an extended period of recreation". So, what I am trying to so here is to help you have the most relaxing and happiest trip possible. No fights, no embarrassment, just enjoyment.
Tip #1
Know the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and England.
England: The country
Great Britain: The island, made up of England, Scotland, and Wales
United Kingdom: The sovereign state, made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Why is this important? Well, for some of them, it is a matter of either great pride, or great disgust. Most people don't care, or won't say anything about it. But occasionally, you will meet someone who gets quite offended if you use the wrong word. In England, you won't just meet English people. There will be people from all over the UK, and of course the world.
How would you feel if someone addressed you as a North American? I mean, it is correct, but it's just weird. Now, imagine you are Scottish, and someone calls you English. Not cool. A very easy way to avoid a bit of embarrassment.
Trap #1
If they ask you to speak in a British accent, don't do it.
This is one of my greatest pet peeves with people from every country. See, if I ask someone to do an American accent, and they do the one they learned from watching Jersey Shore, then to me and my southern roots, the accent will be wrong. But that doesn't mean they did a wrong accent.
That is the trap you will fall into if you speak in your "British" accent. Most Americans think of British accents to be those from the Victorian times, while nobody actually speaks like that anymore. So if you speak like that, they will laugh at you. It doesn't mean you are wrong! Just that what they heard is not what they expected to hear. Again, avoid embarrassment, don't do it.
Tip #2
They don't care about your ancestral history.
Ok, so when we are growing up, we all spend time in school researching our family history. For me, it was an assignment I loved. Learning about my family coming from Northern Ireland, and making it all the way down to Florida. It is an area of great pride for me, and many other Americans.
However, when you come to England, or any country where your family hails from, please be aware that they don't look at it the same way we do. Unless you still have connections with family members in that country, don't even bother telling them that you are from there. They don't study it like we don't, and they don't get it. If you want to talk about your family coming from a country, then say "my family comes from" or "my heritage is". That way, you can share your relationship, but without claiming to be something that might offend them.
Trap #2
If they ask you how you feel about gun control, don't answer.
Obviously, we have really strong opinions about this topic, and other controversial ones. Hey, we are Americans. However, our opinions are formed by living in and experiencing the American lifestyle. English people think about the American lifestyle from an English point of view. Huh? Let me explain.
When we talk about guns, we are thinking form the point of view that the police officers, the bad guys, and the normal lay people have guns. However, except in extreme circumstances, English police do not carry guns. Most of the bad guys don't have guns either. And the guns that regular people have are rare, well documented, and used for hunting. So, you cannot expect the English to understand your point of view about the topic. Even if you are for gun control, it will still have a different meaning to you than for them.
Now, you can spend your whole vacation attempting to explain. But hey, that probably doesn't go alone with that whole relaxation thing, huh? This goes for all controversial topics. They want your opinion, but most likely, it will not match there's, which opens the possibility of arguements. Eww.
Tip # 3
Avoid the classic "British" vocabulary.
As I mentioned before, they mostly speak the same language as us. Some of the words are different. However, a lot of words have changed from what they used to be. For example, yes, they did use to say "loo" for bathroom. But now, they say toilet.
In some cases, the American word is used as well. Yes, it is called the "Underground", the "tube", or the "metro". However, if you say "subway", they'll get it.
This is a pretty good list of words. Not perfect, not complete, but a good start.
All-in-all, England is an amazing place to visit. Don't let any of these things dissuade you from visiting. It is just like any country, where there are differences between people, ideals, and lifestyles. The key is to be open-minded about their thoughts, and understand they might not get yours.
I'll add more tips and traps as I think of them.. or experience them. Comments? Questions? Leave them below!
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